Before starting the co-design of nature-based solutions (NbS) in the form of green-blue infrastructure (GBI) for the two implementation sites in Huế, the GreenCityLabHuế project carried out a stocktaking survey to better understand how people experience these places today. The survey helps to identify what users value most, what currently holds the spaces back, and which improvements should be prioritised. It also provides a baseline that can be revisited after implementation to assess perceived changes in comfort, usability, and overall site quality.
The project is operating at two locations, the Định Môn Cultural Green Space and a designated area on the HUSC campus. Consequently, two questionnaires were developed, tailored to each site. The surveys were implemented in LimeSurvey, and analysed using a project-developed Python package “limesurvpy”, that has been made available to the Python community.
Fieldwork was coordinated and supported by local partners, and adapted to conditions and events as needed. At HUSC, data collection was conducted mainly through on-site surveys supported by the Youth Union between 25 November and 8 December 2025, covering different weekdays to reflect routine campus use. In Định Môn, digital participation proved difficult, not least because the survey period coincided with consecutive flooding events that were affecting the local community. To account for the difficult conditions, and to further reduce barriers and ensure inclusiveness, the developed questionnaires were distributed through community representatives in printed form, and collected later. Household surveys ran from 23 November to 26 December 2025. As a gesture of appreciation during a demanding post flood period, participating households received vegetable seed packages to support re-establishing home gardens.
As if to underscore the recent flood events, flooding and riverbank erosion were confirmed as a key resilience challenges by Định Môn residents. At HUSC, key burdens reported by participants include flooding, drainage issues, and missing amenities.
Across both sites, a clear message emerges: People want NbS and GBI to improve everyday comfort and usability, especially by providing cooling, shade, and shelter from weather. Furthermore, participants have clear visions and ideas towards NbS design. Stated preferences include planting trees and ornamental plants, and cleanliness, proper waste management, seating opportunities and basic facilities, lighting, and safe surfaces are key expectations of participants. For respondents, realistic maintenance regimes at both sites are an important issue. In this regard, it is very positive to see that participants expressed a high willingness to volunteer for maintenance and hands on improvement activities, an important signal for NbS stewardship.
These insights now feed directly into the co-creation and design process, ensuring that planned interventions respond to what residents and campus users consider most important.
For more detailed findings from the questionnaire-based stocktaking of local conditions, please see:
